The modern tramway in Nice

[rogerfarnworth]

This is the first blog of mine about the trams of Nice. It reflects back to older tram networks on the Cote d'Azur providing links to posts about those early 20th Century trams and goes on to provide information about the new and growing network of trams in Nice:

 

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/13/a-first-tramway-for-nice-since-1953-and-the-closure-of-the-cote-dazurs-vast-tram-network

[rogerfarnworth]

Line 2 of the Nice Tramways was under construction when we visited Nice in November 2017:

 

https://rogerfarnworth.wordpress.com/2017/11/14/2342

[rue_d_etropal]

Interesting to see the old tram system was conduit, like London. Was far more common than many realise. Paris had a mixture originally, with only those line likely to flood, being wire overhead. Appeals to me as there are none of those wires to get in the way.

[rogerfarnworth]

The modern tram has a length not under wire across the Place de Massena. That length requires the trams to use battery power. The batteries being kept charged by an alternator.

[rue_d_etropal]

That is similar to what I think is in Birmingham, and also a stretch of modern tramline in Chicago. I think the tramline in Dubai, actually does use a form of conduit for power pickup. There are also a number of trials of induction charging, mainly in Germany.

I think the victorians adopted conduit for visual reasons. I had not appreciated that many tramways(including London) were conduit, as photos show what was actually wires for trolley buses.

[Colin_McLeod]

The tramway system in Bordeaux has sections with a central third rail made up of many separate sections shorter than tne trams. They are only energised when a tram is over them. This arrangement occurs in areas where the overhead wires would have spoiled the ambience.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ground-level_power_supply